Really did laugh out loud

The new issue of Speculative Grammarian is up, and while reading Metalleus' attempt to derive the word Moses from the word Middletown, I actually did (though remaining on the couch) laugh and loud and at least startle the cat:

I have therefore proceeded to invert O’Toole’s analysis and derive instead Moses from Middletown; there are two possibilities. (To be sure, the first alternative leaves the issue of accretion vs. loss somewhat moot.)

I. A naive solution.

	//midltawn//
-idltawn Deletion	m
-oziz Insertion	moziz

This solution definitely has the advantage of simplicity, but the rules seem somewhat ad hoc.

"Somewhat ad hoc" indeed.

I also am taken with this phrase "The second solution posits rules which are or will be well-motivated either (a) now or (b) later" and will attempt to use it whenever possible.